Time for Northern Ireland to play its part

Frances McCandless
23 October 2009 - 1:41pm
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Tagged as:

• carbon emissions
• climate
• Climate Change
• ecology
• energy
• Environment
• Get in the Game
• Stop Climate Chaos

Ulster rugby star Stephen Ferris launches the petition campaign

We are supposed to be reducing them by up to 3% per year.  No gold star for that one.

The fact is that we have no legislation in Northern Ireland that actually binds us to meeting the targets set out in the UK climate change legislation.  We could sit back and do nothing, but what would be the point of that? Some of us want to change this and make sure that we do contribute our fair share. A number of organisations has come together under the banner of Stop Climate Chaos NI to launch a campaign to try to persuade our local politicians to ‘get in the game’.

With the help of Ulster rugby star Stephen Ferris we have launched a petition calling for NI legislation to bind us to taking real action on climate change. Stop Climate Chaos includes NICVA, Christian Aid, Concern, Friends of the Earth, NI Environment Link, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the National Trust, Oxfam, RSPB and many others. 

Tackling carbon emissions isn’t a luxury we can afford to set aside because times are hard. On the contrary, it is vital for our future if we want an economy that can provide local jobs and compete in global markets, as the Green New Deal proposals highlight. And it’s an issue world leaders will be taking very seriously at the Copenhagen summit later this year.

Other regions of the UK are moving ahead of us, with serious carbon reduction targets in Scotland and a green jobs strategy in Wales. We linger on the sidelines. It’s time to get in the game.

You can sign up to the petition at http://www.communityni.org/content/act-now/